Hiking, Biking, and Bald Eagles

Went on vacation last week to a beautiful State Park in Wisconsin...Governor Dodge. We love coming to this park because there is so much to see and do.



We fished and caught 20 or more "keepers" fried them up and everyone but me ate it. There is a wonderful swimming beach where you can rent canoes, kayaks, paddleboats, and just swim.

There are numerous trails to hike and bike on. I did my 8 mile run on the Military Ridge Trail. It was an awesome run! Gotta train for that half marathon which is quickly approaching.



One thing that is great about camping is having a few cocktails around the fire or when there are driving rains for 5 hours straight...drinking a few beers is how to pass the time. Thank goodness for a camper that has a DVD player...phew! The kids were entertained for a while. We had 2 days of terrible rains in the afternoon...like 5 or 6 hours of rain and it was a very COLD rain. I was bundled up like it was October or something.

There were a lot of nice days too. The days we biked were great. My youngest even did an 8 mile ride one day. She told me she was in training for a triathlon in August. She is so funny.

I will post some more pics tomorrow. I have a couple of pics I wanted to save for Wordless Wednesday. The kids outside of the natural spring house.

This girl loves to pose for me. I love her teeth and how they are coming in so nicely!

A day at the beach...playing football...that is hubby and E in the background.

I saw some bald eagles flying around the lake...wish I could of gotten a closer shot. I do have others, so we will see. They are such beautiful birds. Maybe if you click on it, it will be larger.

***Side note*** My youngest 2 kids are on vacation this week with their cousins. Looks like Teenage girl and I will be doing some bonding. I just hope she doesn't convince me to break the bank. :)

Vacation was awesome! I have so much to share and some good pictures too. I have been busy reading what I missed since last week.

Real quick...I am training for the half marathon in Chicago and I ran my longest run to date. I ran 8 miles! I was so proud I was practically crying! Next week is my 9 miler...that is scary, but I will do it!

Tomorrow I will download pictures and hopefully catch up even more.

Youth Gone Wild or So I Feel

If you feel offended by my obnoxious youthful behavior, please go no further. This is how the adult campers really act when their children are not with them.

We shotgunned beer, drank tequilia,( I drank the tequilia) more beer, wine, mixers, and more beer. Shotgunning beer is not as easy as it use to be. I gagged and spit a few times! Good times.

So, if you are my family, my friends, or my wonderful co-workers, please don't judge...I may be 41 on paper, but hell I felt like a 20 something this past weekend. Cheers to making this an annual adult event.

This is How Sunday Went

Just got back from a great weekend of fun with friends and family. This event had no kids. It was our first and hopefully annual adult only camping weekend. We went to a beautiful State Park right on the Mississippi River in Trempealeau, WI. This was how we spent our Father's Day.

We hiked up this bluff (to me it felt like a mountain.. I am not a height person, I get a bit freaked out). BTW, my a$$ is still hurting from the work out I got hiking up this thing! And I was sweating like crazy...the weather was HUMID!!
Hubby and me...we reached the top where this little shelter thing was. Very cool!

Hubby fishing. He loves doing this.

Me, my friend Heidi, and my sister Tricia.

It was a bit foggy that morning we hiked, but it was so beautiful.

Randy, my BIL Tom, and Hubby.

This is the low key day. I will post the crazy day, when thank goodness my children did NOT see like the wild 20 something I thought I was.

Beautiful Scenery

These photos are from our view from the cabin in Door County, WI. These are from our friend's camera. I think I need to get a camera like that. I love the following pictures. So pretty.

We are beautiful too...and part of the scene. :)

Until next year.....the group will be bigger!

****Thanks Randy and Heidi for these awesome pix! I need a new camera!!

Door County Weekend

It was a great weekend. A whole weekend without kids! We had a great time. We stayed in this resort right on the lake~ Lake Michigan~ we were in the thumb of Wisconsin. Anyways, the resort was nice we stayed in a cottage with everyone. (beds were very squeaky~held on to the headboard one night anyway) The weather was great~Indian Summer like temperatures. I ran on Friday...it was so beautiful not to enjoy a run. That way I felt like I could justify all the food and drink I knew I would have.

Hubby and me
I had one too many "Christmas Trees" that night. I love Gin and Tonic, but it makes me loopy. I paid for that night on Saturday morning.... a huge hangover...felt better later in the day. Saturday was the big Pumpkin Patch Festival where you walked around the town with open intoxicants...it was awesome! I decided to drink the margaritas instead of beer or wine.
Hubby had a plan..let's take the shortcut to the Festival....didn't work out so well....we were trespassers and the owners were not liking the fact that we wanted to cut through their property. So we were almost there...and we had to turn around and walk around. No big deal except I ruined my cute new shoes...they stunk like rotten fish and seaweed the whole day....nasty...I ended up going into one of those candle shops and spraying some room spray on my shoes. I think that is why the flies loved me that day. I am going to try and wash those shoes. I just love them!! Sorry Amy...it was all about the food and drink at the Fest! It was very crowded that day. Thousands of people...lots of thousands. Glad we walked our half mile and more after our detour.

The boys were looking at all the traffic and enjoying the day.
This is what I came h0me with. I went to two wineries on Friday. I was the driver so I couldn't go too crazy. I tried many types of wine...even tried the drys and semi dry. I ended up really liking this Blackberry Merlot. Never thought I would like the red wine, but I did. Yummy. I also like the apple blend wines...sweet. I didn't really like the holiday wines...to nutmeg ...spice for my liking. It was fun. At one of the wineries there was this bus that had about 50 women who were 75 years and older. They were cracking me up at the bar when ordering their wine. I hope that is me someday...living it up and having fun. That is what it is all about.

Anything else that happened....can't tell...just look at the sign. :)

Northwoods Getaway

Brandon hoping for his first catch of the trip. Emma casting... caught a sunfish.

Alyssa waiting for the big fish. (Crazy canoe girl)

The Fourth of July weekend led us up to the North Woods of Wisconsin. As I was told it was bear country. My fears of camping amongst the bears was a bit frightning. So before the trip I was given a gift...a bear bell. A what you ask...it is a basic bell that is suppose to scare off bears. I knew at that point I would be okay(not really, but whatever). Wouldn't you know it, I forgot it(being 40 of course).

This is the bear bell.

I guess I will remember it next time.

It was a great weekend...no bear sightings...maybe just sounds. It was a great time. We fished, canoed, biked, ran, swam, and of course drank some summer drinks. My favorite is Summer Shandy by Leinenkugels. LOVE IT!

I wished I would of brought my camera on the canoe. It was a real trip in all sense of that word~ a trip. I was put in the canoe with my 11 year old daughter who really thinks she is almost adult like. She was a real motivator. She was out for blood that day (not the kind that mosquitoes want ). She wanted to be the first one to the Michigan border. We did finish first after her constant yelling at me on how to paddle a canoe. At one point I wanted to tip it just for fun. From what I understand it was a real comedy show.